Argentina Awaits for Novak Djokovic vs Juan Martin Del Potro's Final Encounter. Novak Djokovic will fly specially to Buenos Aires in Argentina to play an exhibition match against Juan Martin Del Potro. The event aptly named "The Final Challenge" will be Del Potro's final tennis match fulfilling his dream of playing one last game in front of his beloved fans. The Argentinian known for his rocket forehands had been struggling with his injuries for the previous few years and played his last professional match in 2022. He had initially made some plans for his farewell game to be at the 2023 US OPEN but was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.
How it all came about?
Del Potro had posted an emotional video on his social media platforms inviting the 24-time Grand Slam champion to be his last-ever opponent. Del Potro is seen asking Novak "I have a dream. I want to play my last match in Argentina, and I want you to be there,"
Djokovic is seen replying in Spanish "Are you kidding me? Obviously I'll be there… For you, in Argentina? Yes, of course I'll be there."
Será increíble 🥹@DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/oGPfgxUcm7
— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) September 12, 2024
Juan and Novak are very good friends in real life and are often spotted hanging out together. Del Potro said he was teared up seeing Novak win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Novak Djokovic vs Juan Martin Del Potro: Head To Head
You'll be amazed to know that Djokovic and Del Potro have faced each other 20 times with the Serbian winning 16 of them while Del Potro coming on top in just 4. But don't be mistaken by these numbers as most of their encounters were close. Del Potro famously defeated Djokovic to claim the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games and again in the first round of 2016 Rio Games.
Djokovic said, "My greatest success ever was beating Juan Martin del Potro in the final of the US Open in 2018." To which Del Potro cheekily replied: "My biggest success was beating you in Rio." Djokovic added "And in London! Delpo is my nemesis at the Olympic Games. He's been my slayer."
A Fitting Farewell for a Legend
Del Potro's career had seen it all. From the very high to the lowest of lows. He created arguably one of the biggest upsets in Tennis history when he defeated the legendary Roger Federer at the 2009 US OPEN in an unforgettable final. This remains his only grand slam to date as frequent injuries never allowed him to reach the heights his talent deserved. Del Potro's achievements include a Bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and Silver at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The former World No.3 leaves the sport with a legacy to be proud of and is one of the few players to have zero haters.
The Final Challenge: Juan Martin Del Potro vs Novak Djokovic
- Date: December 1, 2024
- Venue: Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Event Name: The Final Challenge
Conclusion
The Final challenge featuring Novak Djokovic vs Juan Martin Del Potro is more than just an exhibition match. Fans can expect high-quality tennis between the two legends and there will be tears for sure at the end.
What's your favorite moment from Del Potro's career? Comment and let us know. Follow Racquet Point for news and updates.
The featured image in this article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author angelicalbite
